A. Basis For Wastewater Service Charge: The wastewater service charge for the use of and for service supplied by the wastewater facilities of the city shall consist of a basic user charge for operation and maintenance plus replacement, applicable surcharges and local capital cost charge composed of a debt service charge and a capital improvement charge.
1. Reserved.
2. Sewer Capital Fund: The capital improvement charge is levied on all users to provide for capital improvements, extensions or reconstruction of the sewage treatment works. The capital improvement charge is computed by apportioning the annual amount to be accrued as a fixed charge of six dollars five cents ($6.05) per month.
3. Wastewater Maintenance Fee:
a. An account is established for the deposit of monies for the purpose of purchasing equipment, capital improvements to facilities, land acquisition, grant matching funds, major repairs to equipment, making payments on lease/purchase debt agreements or similar debt instruments and other qualifying capital improvement expenditures for the city of East Dubuque sewer utility as listed below. The money will come directly from the sewer utility capital improvement fee.
b. There shall be and there is hereby established a wastewater maintenance fee of eighteen dollars fifteen cents ($18.15) per month assessed to all users of the combined sewer and water system.
4. Basic User Charge:
a. The basic user charge shall be based on water usage as recorded by water meters and/or sewage meters for wastes having the following normal domestic concentrations:
(1) A five (5) day, twenty degree centigrade (20°C) biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) of two hundred five milligrams per liter (205 mg/l).
(2) A suspended solids (SS) content of two hundred sixty five milligrams per liter (265 mg/l).
b. It shall consist of operation and maintenance costs plus replacement (OM&R) and shall be computed as follows:
(1) Estimate wastewater volume, pounds of SS and pounds of BOD to be treated.
(2) Estimate the projected annual revenue required to operate and maintain the wastewater facilities including a replacement fund for the year, for all works categories.
(3) Proportion the estimated operation, maintenance and replacement (OM&R) costs to each user class by volume, suspended solids and BOD.
(4) Proportion the estimated operation, maintenance and replacement (OM&R) costs to wastewater facility categories by volume, suspended solids and BOD.
(5) Compute costs per one thousand (1,000) gallons for normal sewage strength.
(6) Compute surcharge costs per pound per one thousand (1,000) gallons in excess of normal sewage strength for BOD and SS.
5. Surcharge: A surcharge will be levied to all users whose waters exceed the normal domestic concentrations of BOD (205 mg/L) and SS (265 mg/L). The surcharge will be based on water usage as recorded by water meters and/or sewage meters for all wastes which exceed the three hundred milligrams per liter (300 mg/L) and four hundred fifty milligrams per liter (450 mg/L) concentration for BOD and SS respectively. Subsection E2 of this section specifies the procedure to compute a surcharge.
6. Adequacy: The adequacy of the wastewater service charge shall be reviewed, not less often than annually, by certified public accountants for the City in their annual audit report. The wastewater service charge shall be revised periodically to reflect a change in local capital costs or a change in operation and maintenance costs including replacement costs.
7. Notification: The users of wastewater treatment services will be notified on May 1 of each calendar year, in conjunction with a regular bill, of the rate and that portion of the user charges, which are attributable to the wastewater treatment operation, maintenance and replacement. (Ord. 99-1208, 12-6-1999; amd. Ord. 16-0507, 5-2-2016)
B. Measurement Of Flow: The volume of flow used for computing basic user charges and surcharges shall be the metered water consumption read to the lowest even increments of one thousand (1,000) gallons.
1. If the person discharging wastes into the public sewers procures any part, or all, of his water from sources other than the public water works system, all or a part of which is discharged into the public sewers, the person shall install and maintain a water meter as described in section 12-2-3 of this title.
2. Other devices for measuring the volume of waste discharged may be required by the City Manager, the Public Works Director and/or designated agents if these volumes cannot otherwise be determined from the metered water consumption records. These devices for determining the volume of waste shall be installed, owned, and maintained by the person. Following approval and installation, such meters may not be removed, unless service is canceled, without the consent of the City Council.
C. Turn On Fee: The turn on fee shall apply to any new service turn on and shall be as follows:
New Service Size | Turn On Fee |
1 inch or smaller | $ 250.00 |
Larger than 1 inch | $500.00 |
The turn on fee shall be the responsibility of the applicant for water service.
D. Wastewater Rates: The charge for wastewater shall be billed in the following scale. All accounts shall be billed at the rates listed in the following rate schedule, and such rates are to be effective October 1, 2021:
1. Within City Limits:
a. Wastewater Rate: A charge of nine dollars thirty-seven cents ($9.37) per one thousand (1,000) gallons shall apply to all premises located within the corporate limits of the City.
b. Minimum Charge: A minimum charge of eighteen dollars seventy-four cents ($18.74) per month shall be applied to all users whose wastewater consumption does not exceed two thousand (2,000) gallons per month.
c. Ready To Serve Charge: A charge of eighteen dollars seventy-four cents ($18.74) per month shall be applied to all ready to serve users.
d. Flat Rate Sewer: All nonmetered users of the wastewater facilities shall pay a minimum flat rate charge of seventy-five dollars ($75.00) per month adequate to cover the costs of sewer capital fund charge, the minimum service charge, the wastewater maintenance fee, and the basic user rate of nine dollars thirty-seven cents ($9.37) per one thousand (1,000) gallons. The flat rate charge will allow a maximum six thousand (6,000) gallons per month.
2. Outside City Limits:
a. Wastewater Rate: A charge of eighteen dollars seventy-four cents ($18.74) per one thousand (1,000) gallons shall apply to all premises and users outside the corporate limits of the City.
b. Minimum Charge: A minimum charge of thirty-seven dollars forty-eight cents ($37.48) per month shall be applied to all users whose wastewater consumption does not exceed two thousand (2,000) gallons per month.
c. Ready To Serve Charge: A charge of thirty-seven dollars forty-eight cents ($37.48) per month shall be applied to all ready to serve users.
d. Flat Rate Sewer: All nonmetered users of the wastewater facilities shall pay a minimum flat rate charge of one hundred fifty dollars ($150.00) per month adequate to cover the costs of the minimum accrual capital cost charge, the minimum service charge, the wastewater maintenance fee, and the basic user rate of thirty-seven dollars and forty-eight cents ($37.48) per one thousand (1,000) gallons. The flat rate charge will allow a maximum six thousand (6,000) gallons per month.
E. Surcharge Rate And Computation:
1. The rates of surcharges for BODs and SS shall be as follows:
Per pound of BOD | $0.40 |
Per pound of SS | 0.25 |
2. The concentration of wastes used for computing surcharges shall be established by waste sampling. Waste sampling shall be performed as often as may be deemed necessary by the City and shall be binding as a basis for surcharges.
F. IIncome Based Rate: Any resident residing within the corporate boundaries of East Dubuque is eligible for a twenty percent (20%) discount for wastewater consumption based on their income. The following income rates are established based on household size. Proof of income to be verified by submission of most recent federal income tax return.
Household Size | Maximum Annual Gross Income |
Household Size | Maximum Annual Gross Income |
1 | $25,760 |
2 | $34,840 |
3 | $43,920 |
4 | $53,000 |
5 | $62,080 |
6 | $71,160 |
7 | $79,081 |
8 | $80,838 |
For each additional family member, add: two hundred eighty dollars ($280.00) per person. (Ord. 99-1208, 12-6-1999; amd. Ord. 16-0507, 5-2-2016; Ord. 19-0406, 4-1-2019; Ord. 20-0710, 7-13-2020; Ord. 21-0905, 9-7-2021; Ord. 21-1026, 10-18-2021)